


Lessons in Persuasion

by talesandthings



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack, F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-12 11:37:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10490055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesandthings/pseuds/talesandthings
Summary: The one in which LeFou owns a coffee shop, Adam is a ponytail wearing lawyer, and Belle is a badass reporter. And Gaston, well, Gaston’s the guy across the street with a killer smile and some killer persuasion skills.Oh and LeFou doesn’t have evidence to back it up but he’s pretty sure Gaston has put a spell on his friends.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My second attempt at writing for this fandom. I blame Josh and Luke and their chemistry. 
> 
> Oh, and I haven't actually watched the live-action version of the movie yet so I don't really know what Adam is like in the movie. So I've kind of modeled him after Dan Stevens character from Legion. 
> 
> Again, I have no idea where this fic came from. I was just thinking about what Gaston would be like in the modern day and thus fic was born.

LeFou considered himself a pretty confident guy. In fact, he and his best friend were well on his way through second year of law school three years ago. But then they reconsidered their life choices and opened up a coffee shop instead. Well, Adam went back and finished his degree. LeFou loved the coffee shop and his customers too much to ever consider doing anything else. So yeah, LeFou was people person.

That’s why it baffled him when he found himself unable to speak to the handsome gym owner across the street. He couldn’t let out anything beyond a squeak around the guy. In fact he often found himself crawling under counter anytime the guy so much as looked his way. Yep, it was all pretty depressing. 

That is why one fine Wednesday morning, LeFou’s friends Adam decided enough was enough. His ponytailed friend also single-handedly ruined everything for LeFou the same day. 

“Okay, that’s it. We can’t stand around and let you do this anymore!” Adam exclaimed slamming his laptop shut so hard that it made Lefou jump half a foot into the air.

Belle giggled across from Adam, making LeFou glare at both of them. “What do you mean?” LeFou asked with an edge in his voice. 

“You, thirsting over that prime cut of steak across the street,” Adam replied without a beat. 

Poor Belle choked on her coffee at that. She broke fits of cough before smacking Adam upside the head. 

“Warn a girl next time, before saying stuff like that.” She chastised the 30-year-old who gave her a cocky grin in response. 

“What?!” LeFou exclaimed in faux shock and added “I am not “thirsting” over anyone.” 

“Oh please, LeFou. You looked like you were about to reach out with your tongue and lick the sweat off of his naked back,” Adam noted. The unapologetic bastard had such a way with words that often left LeFou gaping in shock. 

“Oh don’t be so crude, Adam. I am sure LeFou wanted to do no such thing,” Belle defended her. Bless her sweet, gentle soul. 

Adam swung his long on one side of the chair before jumping out of his seat. “You should have seen him, Belle. Let’s be glad there aren’t any customers in here yet,” he teased as he made his way over to the counter. “You should ask him out, buddy. That we don't have to watch you lust over him anymore” 

LeFou’s eyes widened in shock and he stared at his friend like he had grown an extra head. “Are you out of your damn mind? I mean  look at him and look at me,” he exaggerated as he pointed towards Gaston and then himself. 

“Don’t be daft, LeFou. You are a very handsome man. He would be lucky to have you,” Belle interjected, sounding much like Lefou’s mother. It was a bit disconcerting. 

Adam nodded in agreement, “Exactly. I mean what have you got to lose? Okay, if you don’t wanna ask him out then at least talk to him. You look like you'll fling yourself into outer space anytime he even looks your way.” 

LeFou looked at his feet in embarrassment and his cheeks turned into a light shade of red. Well, Adam wasn’t wrong. “He’s  intimidating,  Adam ." 

“Can’t argue with you there,” Adam mumbled under his breath. If it wasn’t so quiet in the shop, LeFou would have almost missed it. 

LeFou’s head snapped up and he gave Adam a cheeky grin, “See! You agree! He commands the room anytime he’s around. I bet you couldn’t talk to him either!” He challenged and hope that would make Adam drop the subject. 

What LeFou wasn’t expecting was the self-assured smirk that formed on Adam's face, “I could go talk to him right now. In fact, you know what, since I am such a great wingman, I will even get his number for you. Don’t say I never did you any favors.” Before LeFou could even respond, Adam headed out of the door. 

Of course. How could LeFou forget that his cocky best friend never backed down from a challenge? That’s what made him such a great lawyer in the first place. 

“Adam wait!” LeFou called out after him without any luck. He looked on with bated breath as Adam sauntered across the street with confidence. 

A chair scraped somewhere behind him and Lefou turned around to find Belle over his shoulder. “This should be good,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes and Lefou sighed. “What do you think he’s saying?” 

LeFou shrugged his shoulders and turned around to watch Adam interact with Gaston. He was  animatedly moving his hands around while Gaston towered over him. The two men looked a little close for comfort. Much to LeFou’s surprise, Adam burst out in laughter a few moments later and slapped Gaston’s beefy arm. 

“What is he doing?” Belle sounded baffled beside him. LeFou knew the feeling. He himself wasn’t sure what exactly Adam was up to. 

Lefou eyes widened in surprise when Adam pointed towards coffee shop. The wavy-haired man squealed before diving behind the counter. He pulled Belle down with him a second later. 

“What are you-” 

Belle started to say but LeFou interrupted her, “Adam was pointing towards us.” 

“They can’t see us from there, LeFou,” Belle reminded him and the older man immediately felt stupid. Of course Adam and Gaston couldn’t see them. There was a giant sign painted on the front window, which hid them from the outside world. 

LeFou stood up a few moments later and Belle followed suit. they found that Gaston standing alone at his gym, putting on his boxing gloves. Adam was nowhere in sight. 

A few seconds later, the bell above the cafe chimed, startling both LeFou and Belle. Adam saw the panicked look on their faces and chuckled. 

“Not funny, Adam!” LeFou scolded his tall friend “What were you even talking about?” 

“Yeah, you were laughing quite a lot,” Belle chimed in. 

Adam’s laughter came to a halt and he gave both of them a sheepish smile. “Uh…  I think I agreed to go on a date with him.” 

“What?!” LeFou and Belle demanded in unison. 

Adam rubbed the back of his neck and nodded with a nervous smile, “Yeah. I mean I don’t even know what happened. One moment we were talking and then he leaned in and he has these eyes. And the next thing I knew I was agreeing to a date with him.” He explained and had this far away look in his eyes. It made LeFou want to reach out and slap his friend across the face to snap him out of it. “Guys, Gaston  maybe a sorcerer or something. Or he  just has mad persuasion skills.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle has a talk with Gaston. It doesn't go as planned.

LeFou wasn’t sure how long he stood there staring at Adam, who was shrinking away under his gaze. Both of them snapped out of it when a loud slap resounded through the empty cafe.

“Ow!” Adam yelped in pain and rubbed the back of his head. While Belle stood beside him with a rolled up magazine and glared at him.

“What the hell did you do?” She demanded

“I already told you guys!”

“No, what you told us was how you ruined LeFou’s chances with that Gaston. How could you do that? He’s your best friend. And not to mention, you’re already dating me!” She continued to scold her boyfriend and then threw the magazine aside “Okay, that’s it. I will go have a word with that brute. He can’t just ask out my boyfriend.”

Belle stormed out of the cafe and almost slammed the door on the hands of a customer who was entering the cafe. The man looked startled by the fuming woman. LeFou offered his apology on Belle's behalf before taking his order. He ignored Adam the whole time who was trying to get his attention. LeFou prepared the double shot espresso in record time and offered it to the customer with a smile. Once the man was gone, the smile dropped from LeFou’s face and glared at Adam again.

“Come on, buddy, it’s not like I did it on purpose,” Adam tried to defend himself.

“Did you say yes?”

“I don’t remember.”

LeFou fumed, “How could you not remember?”

“I told you. He has this eyes and you get lost in them. He’s also a smooth talker,” Adam explained got a faraway look in his eyes once again.

LeFou picked up the magazine Belle abandoned on the counter and slapped it across Adam’s head. “Hey! Watch the hair!” The brunette yelped and then it’s like a lightbulb went off in his head. “Which reminds me.

LeFou’s tall friend jumped over the counter in a swift motion making the plump man step back. “I’ve told you not to do that! There’s an entrance right there,” LeFou admonished the younger man and scowled at him.

LeFou watched with curiosity as Adam took out a pair of scissors from the drawer and brought it up to his ponytail. “What the hell are you-” Before LeFou could finish his thought, Adam ran the scissors through his ponytail. “Oh my god, Adam!” LeFou screeched and covered his mouth in horror.

Adam placed the scissors back in the drawer and then looked around for a place to throw his cut off the ponytail. In the end, he decided to stuff it in his jacket pocket. “Gaston said I should cut off the ponytail.”

“What?” The stout man demanded. “Adam, I’ve been asking you to cut off that damn ponytail for 2 years! You won’t listen to your best friend but you’ll listen to the man you barely know!”

Adam shrugged in response, “He’s just really convincing, LeFou.”

As LeFou started to reply but the bell above the door chimed and diverted his attention away from Adam. He found Belle standing on the other side of the counter with a tint of pink covering her cheeks. “Okay, I see where Adam's coming from. That man is quite charming.”

“He asked you out too, didn’t he?” Adam asked with a slack jaw

LeFou’s eyes widened as he watched the 25-year-old nod, “Yeah”

The plump man threw his hands up in the air and turned away from his friends. “Oh for fuck's sake."

“I am not going to act on it LeFou and neither is Ad-” Belle stopped mid-sentence. LeFou turned to look at her again and found her watching Adam in dismay. “Oh my god, Adam. What happened to your hair?!”

Adam ran his hand through his now short hair and shrugged, “Gaston said I should cut it.”

“Oh,” Belle responded not sounding too bothered by it. “He told me I should leave my job because I am not cut out for journalism. I believe he may be right.”

“Are you serious right now?” LeFou demanded and looked back and forth between his two friends.

Belle shrugged her dainty shoulders, “I am gonna do it. I will put in my two weeks notice today itself.”

“Belle, you’ve been talking about leaving that job for over a year now. The last time _I_ suggested that you should resign, you said and I quote 'Don’t tell me what to do, LeFou. I am an independent woman who can very well make her own decisions. I will decide for myself when I'm ready to leave the job.' And now some guy across the street, that you don’t even know, says you should leave your job and you’re on board with it?” LeFou was flabbergasted. What kind of magical spell had that man put on his friends?

“I don’t know, LeFou. It’s hard to explain. He’s just so-” Belle stopped to look for the right word.

“Persuasive?” Adam suggested.

“Yes! That’s it. He has this way with words. It’s a bit disconcerting now that I think about it.”

Okay, that’s it. Crush or no crush, LeFou was going to have a word with this Casanova across the street. Nobody messed with LeFou's friends like this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, LeFou gets a lesson in persuasion from Gaston.


End file.
